1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the fields of process engineering and explosives technology and relates to a method and a device for decommissioning bodies containing explosive material, such as, for example, ammunition, bombs or grenades that contain land mines, and from which the explosive materials can be removed and rendered harmless.
2. Discussion of Background Information
Decommissioning is understood as dismantling ammunition or other bodies containing explosive material into their functional and/or material components for the purpose of demolition here in the sense of disposal. Intermediate products produced thereby can continue to be dangerous up until final disposal according to their material properties.
With the known methods for unloading explosive materials from their casings, in particular from military objects, the casings of the objects are first opened so that the explosive material is openly accessible. The opening of the casings of the objects is either already structurally provided or it usually takes place at the detonator housing or the feed opening.
Subsequently, in many cases the explosives are melted out, if they themselves are meltable or contain meltable components.
A method is known for opening bodies containing explosive material for environmentally safe disposal of ammunition, in which the bullet case is slit tangentially up to a residual wall thickness by a compressed water jet with integrated abrasive particles (DE 42 21 666 C1). The ammunition is then separated by the application of bending and/or torsional forces. The ammunition then breaks into two parts at the predetermined breaking point stipulated by the residual wall thickness.
Various other methods for decommissioning ammunition or grenades are likewise known (WO 99/34 165; DE 197 36 298 A1; DE 102 45 512 B3; DE 102 51 105 A1; DE 41 40 001 C1; WO 99/28700; DE 202 15 938 U1).
A method is likewise known for removing an explosive charge from hollow-charge ammunition (DE 199 14 688 C2). Accordingly, a hollow punch die is guided through the open end of the jacket of the ammunition and into the explosive material and subsequently the explosive material is released by a vacuum.
A disadvantage of all of these methods is the complicated process engineering, for example, the complex supply and removal of water with the abrasive particles and the necessary precise control of the process, in particular with respect to the dimensions of the water jet and its guidance during the cutting operation. Likewise, the insertion of a hollow punch die into the ammunition and the explosive material is possible only under special safety conditions and additional devices are necessary for application of a vacuum.
Furthermore, a method and a device are known for removing explosive materials (DE 101 29 016 A1). Accordingly, the casing is respectively opened in the region of the largest cross section of the geometry of the interior of the casing. This can be carried out as is known by separating, cutting, sawing or breaking. Subsequently, the explosive material that is completely or partially meltable is heated in the contact region with the casing so that it is detached from the casing and can be removed into a separate vessel.
A disadvantage here is that a high expenditure in terms of time and energy is necessary for removing the explosive material.
Various disposal concepts are currently known for decommissioning land mines. These are in particular destruction by detonation or the very questionable disposal by offshore dumping.
An offshore dumping of live ammunition is prohibited not only for environmental reasons; against the background of influence of seawater (corrosion), the explosive materials are also latently dangerous for future generations of humans as well as animal and plant populations. Known cases from the era during and after World War II are currently causing enormous problems, e.g., in the Baltic with regard to disposal.
For destruction by detonation a device is known from DE 10 2008 026 242 A1 for the destruction of land mines. This device is composed of a ramp rising obliquely, which forms a guide path for a barrel weight. The barrel weight is connected to a trigger device, which is triggered by the barrel weight running down the ramp. This trigger device in turn triggers the detonator of the land mine so that it is destroyed.
Likewise, according to DE 10 2005 018 476 A1 a device is known for destroying land mines. Accordingly, a hammer pad which has a plurality of hammers is used. The hammers are shaped such that they cannot slip out of the hammer pad. This hammer pad is then lifted by an armored vehicle and placed on the ground where land mines are suspected. When a landmine is hit by the hammer pad, it is detonated and thus destroyed.
Another method and a device for removing land mines is known from DE 197 29 483 A1. Accordingly, the land mines are detected by an aircraft and localized and destroyed by a targeted shot.
According to the methods that are known from DE 196 14 391 A1 and DE 35 42 787 A1, land mines are essentially detonated by autogenous cutting torches or focused laser beams and destroyed thereby.
Furthermore, a method is known for destroying land mines (Global Demilitarization Symposium & Exhibition in Sparks, Nev. USA in May 2003). Accordingly, the mines are supercooled with liquid nitrogen, the main charge carrier is removed and then the energy components are fed to an incineration.
All of these known methods have in common that the land mines are destroyed and in particular no components can be recycled. Furthermore, however, the quantitative and qualitatively complete destruction of all mines in a ground region is not ensured in every case with these methods.